All Stars has brought a lot of old-school Challenge viewers back to the franchise, but many people have noted that the spin-off series is less competitive. After all, many of the fan-favorite Challengers are in their 40s (or older) and they haven’t been training for the show in over a decade. There is, however, one exception: All Stars 3.
That season was comprised of all Challenge champions and finalists (plus Nia sneaked into the mix), which should have made this a hyper competitive season. Undoubtedly, there were a lot of big names on the cast, but did it live up to expectations?
Despite this casting initiative, there was one thing that lessened the hype around the show: There weren’t a lot of huge returns on the season. There were only a handful of cast members who hadn’t appeared on an All Stars season or flagship season in the 2020s. Those people were: Cynthia, Roni, Sylvia, and Veronica. While this doesn’t diminish the level of competition, it does make viewers less excited to tune into the show, as seeing old-school cast members is a key element of All Stars.
Some viewers also felt that there was a lack of drama this season. This might be somewhat true, but there were some notable disagreements. Examples include Kellyanne and Sylvia, Beth and Jonna, Wes and Yes, and Nehemiah and Derrick. For the most part, the drama was competition-related, which fits the lighthearted theme of All Stars (though Beth definitely crossed a line with her feud with Jonna).
All Stars 3 really stands out from a competitive standpoint, especially on the male side. While some top-tier competitors were missing (namely CT and Bananas), we had tough competition from people like Jordan, Wes, Mark, Darrell, and Brad. This made winning the season a big accomplishment, and it was a battle to reach the final. Jordan, who’s often considered the best male Challenger, was even eliminated by Mark this season.
Wes won for the men, and this is a huge accomplishment on his Challenge resume. It’s definitely a more impressive win the Rivals 2, and it’s arguably a more impressive victory than his first-place finish on The Duel.
The female competition was a little bit less impressive. While we did have notable competitors like Jonna (fresh off her All Stars 2 win), Kailah, and Kellyanne, almost all of the top-tier women were absent. We didn’t see people like Laurel, Cara Maria, or Rachel on this season, allowing the female players to make it to the end without seeing these Challenge beasts.
From one standpoint, this makes it feel like the women didn’t have top-tier competition, but it did have some benefits for the viewer. There wasn’t an obvious front-runner, and it felt like most of the competitors stood a chance at winning. When Jonna, Kailah, Kellyanne, and Nia made it to the final, it felt like any girl could have taken the victory, but it was very satisfying to see Jonna receive her second consecutive win.
From an entertainment standpoint, All Stars 3 feels like a high-ranking season, but perhaps it’s not top-tier. It’s fun to watch, but there aren’t many unforgettable moments in Challenge history.
I would call this season a top-tier season for male competition, and Wes definitely deserves bragging rights for winning it. Jonna also earned bragging rights, but her path to the final may have had fewer tough obstacles.
I’d argue that All Stars 4 is the season that gave us top-tier female competition, though that season really underwhelmed when it comes to male competition. Despite this, it feels the women on All Stars 3 gave us some really good story line, and it allowed for a more balanced competition.
All Stars 3 seems like a season that doesn’t receive enough appreciation. It’s fun to watch, but it also aired during a period when The Challenge was in hyper mode. At the time, the franchise was producing flagship seasons, multiple All Stars seasons, international adaptations, and shows for CBS. It’s easy to overlook All Stars 3, but the show stands strong on its own merits.
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